Application of Taguchi method in the optimization of end milling parameters

This paper outlines the Taguchi optimization methodology, which is applied to optimize cutting parameters in end milling when machining hardened steel AISI H13 with TiN coated P10 carbide insert tool under semi-finishing and finishing conditions of high speed cutting. The milling parameters evaluated are cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. An orthogonal array, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and Pareto analysis of variance (ANOVA) are employed to analyze the effect of these milling parameters. The analysis of the result shows that the optimal combination for low resultant cutting force and good surface finish are high cutting speed, low feed rate and low depth of cut. Using Taguchi method for design of experiment (DOE), other significant effects such as the interaction among milling parameters are also investigated. The study shows that the Taguchi method is suitable to solve the stated problem with minimum number of trials as compared with a full factorial design. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.